A New Dawn
by Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan
Summary: After The Last Hope, many questions still remain unanswered. Who did Dovewing chose to be her mate? Did Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight become mates again? And also, what troubles will face the next generation of ThunderClan? DISCONTINUED...
1. Prologue

As dawn broke, sunlight desperately tried to reach through the wall of clouds that surrounded the forest. As its warm rays broke through, cats started to gather around a limp body of a cat. The fallen cat was the colour of flames, his pelt was matted and stained with blood. His green eyes were glazed and stared up at the cloudy blue sky.

A pale ginger she-cat let a wail and moved closer to the lifeless body, her green eyes dull with grief. A sob shook her frail, battle-weary body as she pressed her muzzle into the cat's flame-coloured pelt.

The gathered cats started to break away from the body, leaving space for the she-cat to grief. A tortoiseshell-and-white queen quickly ushered her two kits into the nursery. A dark brown tabby tom joined the pale ginger she-cat by the dead warrior, his head dipped in respect, "He was a great leader," he meowed quietly, "Loyal to his clan, strong and wise. ThunderClan will never forget him."

The pale ginger she-cat nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the bright ginger tom, "Oh, Firestar," she whispered softly, pressing her pelt against his. Two she-cats joined her, one a dark ginger, the other a pale brown tabby. They started washing him, gently removing the blood from his brightly-coloured pelt.

A small grey tabby tom silently made his way through the gathered cats, stopping to check each one for wounds. His sightless blue gaze travelled to the centre of the clearing where the dead cat lay and he bowed his head in respect.

A dark brown tabby tom and a white she-cat were carefully carrying another limp body into the centre of the clearing. This time, it was a queen, a pale grey she-cat with darker flecks. When the body was next to the ginger tom, they gently set her down on the clearing floor. A reddish tabby tom bounded over to them, his eyes filled with grief when he spotted the dead she-cat.

The grey tabby tom padded over to the dark brown tabby tom who was sitting beside the pale grey she-cat, "Dustpelt," he mewed softly, gently resting his tail on the warrior's flank, "I need to check your wounds."

The dark brown tabby looked up from the she-cat's body, "I'm fine," his gaze travelled back again to the fallen warrior, "I'm not leaving Ferncloud."

"I'm sure Ferncloud wouldn't mind, she'd want your wounds to be checked out."

Dustpelt sighed, "I guess," he got to his weary paws and followed the grey tabby tom to a small cave in one of the walls of the hollow. The battle-weary warrior settled down next to a mossy nest. The pale grey tom padded over to him; a bundle of herbs in his jaws, and started examining him.

Out in the hollow, two more lifeless bodies were being carried to the centre to rest beside the flame-coloured tom and the pale grey she-cat. The first one was black as night, with once piercing green eyes that were now dull and glazed. The other was a wiry brown she-cat with a greying muzzle. They were carefully placed on the clearing floor and soon cats rushed over to mourn their deaths.

Beside the black she-cat crouched a golden tabby tom, his amber eyes filled with sadness and grief. His muzzle was pressed into the warrior's bloodstained pelt and a small tear fell to the ground, "Oh, Hollyleaf," he whispered. He was joined by a slender grey tabby she-cat with a fluffy tail. The golden tabby looked up from the fallen warrior's body.

"I'm so sorry," the grey tabby she-cat whispered, stepping closer to the black she-cat. She dipped her head in respect, then started licking the black she-cat's pelt. The grey tabby tom padded out of the cave, followed by the dark brown tabby tom; who was plastered in herbs. The grey tabby tom dropped a bundle of sweet-smelling herbs by the two mourning cats; his sightless blue eyes filled with sorrow.

The golden tabby dipped his head, "Thank you, Jayfeather," he glanced over at the grey tabby she-cat beside him. She started applying the herbs to the fallen warrior's dark pelt. But no matter how many herbs she used, the scent of death was still there, hiding behind the sweet smell of herbs.

The grey tabby tom gazed wistfully through sightless blue eyes at the mourning cats, "I will join you later," he mewed, "I must check on Toadstep, Sorreltail and the apprentices," he dipped his head, then padded towards a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat.

The golden tabby tom watched as the grey tabby tom left, then helped the she-cat to cover the fallen warrior's pelt in herbs. A smoky grey she-cat onlooked the mourning warriors. _This wasn't meant to happen! _she thought desperately, _Hollyleaf wasn't meant to die! _A pale grey tom with black stripes sat beside her and gently touched his tail to her shoulder, sensing her distress, "We will remember them," he meowed solemnly, "They were all brave and noble warriors, and they died defending their clan when it mattered most," his gaze travelled from each fallen cat to the next.

The she-cat nodded slowly, "I guess," the shock of the battle was still fresh and the clan were starting to emerge from the wrecked dens; their bones weary from little sleep. A white she-cat with ginger patches emerged from a den, closely followed by three small kits. When she noticed the kits following her, she quickly shooed them back into the den.

A dark brown tabby tom looked up from his fallen clanmates, then leapt onto a ledge, set high on one of the walls of the hollow. "Cats of ThunderClan!" he yowled, "We have won the battle against The Dark Forest, tonight I will travel to the moonpool to recieve my nine lives and my leader's name."

Meows of approval ripples amongst the gathered cats, "Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!"

The dark brown tabby continued to speak, "We will mourn for our fallen clanmates, but ThunderClan will remain strong," he dipped his head to a dark ginger she-cat, "Squirrelflight will arrange the patrols."

Slowly the clan broke away, busy doing their duties and all that was left in the centre of the clearing were the bodies of the four fallen clanmates. The smoky grey she-cat gazed sadly at the bodies, _They will be welcomed in StarClan, _she thought to herself, but she couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt inside of her, _what trouble lies ahead for ThunderClan?_


	2. Chapter One

Lionblaze was awoken early the next day by bright sunlight flooding into the warriors den. The Dark Forest cats had completely ruined the camp and many of dens had large wholes torn in them. He yawned and smiled when he saw Cinderheart's gray pelt gently rising and falling as she slept in the nest beside him. He decided not to wake her, they had spent most of the night sitting vigil for Hollyleaf and she needed to sleep. He stretched then padded out of the den and into the main hollow.

The sight of the hollow completely ruined still shocked him. The only dens that hadn't been touched were the nursery and Brambleclaw's den. The dark brown tabby tom had left late last night with Jayfeather to go to the moonpool and recieve his nine lives. Squirrelflight, his deputy, had been left in charge of the camp. He glanced over at the fresh-kill pile. It was pitifully small; made up of two small sparrows and a stale shrew. He sighed and picked up the shrew, settling down under the highledge to eat it. As he bit into the small shrew, he spotted the slender grey tabby shape of Cinderheart, emerging from the warriors den.

When she noticed her mate, she bounded over to him, her bright blue eyes shining, "I'm so hungry!" she meowed, yawning slightly as she sat down beside Lionblaze. The golden tabby tom purred and rubbed against Cinderheart, "Why don't we go hunting?" he offered, "The fresh-kill pile needs re-stocking anyway."

The fluffy grey tabby she-cat nodded and let her gaze travel to the highledge. Squirrelflight had just leapt up onto it, her dark ginger pelt glowing in the warm sunlight. Most of the clan were already gathered in the hollow, their gazes all fixed on ThunderClan's new deputy.

Squirrelflight's gaze swept over the gathered cats, "Mousewhisker," she began, addressing the grey-and-white warrior, "Can you lead a hunting patrol? Take two other cats."

Mousewhisker dipped his head, "Of course," his gaze travelled around the hollow, "I'll take Brackenfur and Foxleap."

Lionblaze noticed that the grey-and-white warrior had chosen two of ThunderClan's fittest warriors. Many had been badly wounded, like Dustpelt, Icecloud and Birchfall, and had to stay in camp for a moon until their wounds had healed. Squirrelflight nodded, "Thornclaw will lead the sunhigh patrol to the ShadowClan border, take Lionblaze, Rosepetal and Molepaw."

Thornclaw dipped his head and excitement rushed through Lionblaze's veins. _A patrol! _That would get the itch out of his paws. He listened as Squirrelflight continued to name the cats on the other patrols. Once she had finished speaking, she leapt off the highledge and dissapeared into the warriors den. Lionblaze let his gaze wander around the camp. Bumblestripe, Poppyfrost and Cloudtail were repairing the warriors den, whilst Brightheart, Whitewing and Ivypool worked on the apprentices den.

"Lionblaze," Cinderheart meowed, giving him an affectionate nudge, "We were going to go hunting, remember?"

The golden tabby tom nodded and padded over to the remains of the thorn barrier. Cinderheart followed him at a slightly slower pace. They emerged into the forest and Lionblaze paused for a second to listen to the calming sound of the birds singing. They had won the battle. The dark forest were no more. _But Hollyleaf is dead. _He swallowed, trying not to let grief overcome him, "There should be some prey near the WindClan border," he meowed, "Do you think we should go there?"

Cinderheart nodded and took the lead, her brilliant blue gaze fixed on the trees in front of her. Lionblaze padded after her, his head spinning with thoughts. Was Hollyleaf watching him from StarClan. Had she even reached StarClan? After all, she had murdered Ashfur. He shook away the thoughts, of course she would've been accepted into StarClan. She had died protecting her clan when it mattered most. He realised they had reached the WindClan border. He scented the air and cast his gaze over the open moor, "WindClan have marked their borders recentley," he meowed, "We shouldn't have any trouble with them."

Cinderheart nodded, then froze, "Mouse," she hissed.

Lionblaze realised she was right. A small mouse was sitting among the roots of an oak tree, nibbling at a small berry. Its fur looked fluffy and soft; Lionblaze guessed it was quite young.

Cinderheart had dropped into a crouch; her soft belly fur pressed against the dew soaked grass. The golden tabby tom watched as his mate stealthily closed in on the prey, until she was ready to pounce. _Now!_

The slender grey tabby leapt and delivered a killing bite on the back of the mouse's neck. It let out a squeak of pain, then fell limp in Cinderheart's jaws. She purred.

"Great catch," Lionblaze commented, eyeing the plump mouse, "We should take that to Brightheart and her kits."

Cinderheart dropped the mouse and started burying it, "You'd better catch something now," she mewed, "Otherwise the clan will think we've just been lazing about."

The golden tabby tom nodded, "Let's split up, we can catch more prey then."

"Okay."

Lionblaze padded into the trees, away from Cinderheart in the clearing, until he reached another clearing. He spotted a pigeon resting in a birch tree and smiled to himself. The clan may be in pieces after the battle against the dark forest, but at least prey was plentiful.

* * *

Jayfeather padded into the medicine cat den, his jaws firmly clamped around some stalks of horsetail that he had just collected. He set down the clump of herbs at the rear of the den and was about to sort through the piles herbs already sat there, when he heard a small voice.

"What are you doing with those leaves?"

Jayfeather turned around to find a small kit, gazing up at him. _Seedkit. _He realised with dismay, Sorreltail's kits were always causing mischief. They were due to be apprentices any day now. "What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

Seedkit wasn't at all taken back by the blind medicine cat's harsh tone, "I wanted to see what you were doing. You're always in here, I wondered what you were doing," she replied calmly.

Jayfeather sighed. He might as well show the little she-kit what he was doing. He picked up the stems of horsetail, "This is horsetail," he explained.

Seedkit started bouncing up and down, "Oh!" she squeaked, "I know what that's used for! It can be used to treat infected wounds!"

The blind medicine cat was surprised. She was right, "Where did you learn that?" he asked.

The she-kit shrugged, "I just know."

Jayfeather could feel a purr rising in his throat. He might just be speaking to ThunderClan's future medicine cat apprentice.

* * *

**What did you think? Please R&R, I've worked really hard on this and I'd love to hear what you think!**


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